Nancy Drew #31. The Ringmaster’s Secret. Carolyn Keene

The ringmaster did not wait for Nancy to answer. His eyes flashing, he ordered her to leave the circus grounds at once. Then, turning to Lolita, he snapped:

“Get to your trailer and don’t come out until suppertime!”

Over Kroon’s shoulder, Nancy could see Pietro beckoning to her. His sign language seemed to indicate that she was to pretend to leave and that he would follow and meet her later. After bidding Lolita good-by, Nancy started off. Kroon stood there until he was sure his daughter had obeyed his command, then he stalked away.

A short distance farther on, Pietro caught up to Nancy. He offered to guide her to the trailer where extra costumes were kept, including riding habits.

Nancy shook her head. “It wouldn’t be safe now, Pietro. I suspect that Mr. Kroon knows who I am and that I have solved mysteries. I think he referred to Teddy as an excuse for ordering me to leave. He doesn’t want me around here and will do anything to keep me away.”

Pietro looked crestfallen. After a moment of silence, he said, “Even so, Nancy, you must stay and see what you can do for Lolita and me. Listen! I’m going to tell you something that I don’t even dare tell my fiancée. She would be worried sick.

“I was walking past Mr. and Mrs. Kroon’s trailer a little while ago. I believe they thought nobody was around. Mrs. Kroon was crying and saying to her husband:

“‘The money won’t do us any good if people find out where it came from.'”

Nancy was startled. “Have you any idea what Mrs. Kroon meant?” she asked the clown, but he shook his head.

Nancy’s mind jumped to a possible conclusion. The Kroons might have secretly gained possession of money which did not rightfully belong to them!

CHAPTER X

A Quick Switch

There was no question now in Nancy Drew’s mind that if she consented to riding in the circus act she would be undertaking something dangerous—not only dangerous from the angle of riding, but intuition told her there would be other hazards, too.

If Kroon were a dishonest as well as a sinister character, he would not let a girl like Nancy stop him from gaining his own ends. And if Kroon had learned that she was an amateur sleuth, he might use more drastic means to keep her from interfering.

“I’ll certainly need eyes in the back of my head as well as in the front,” the girl detective thought.

“Please don’t let us down,” Pietro pleaded once more. “You see what a dreadful position Lolita is in. Even if we ran away and were married, I don’t believe it would solve our problem. Kroon might continue to make life miserable for us.”

“I agree,” Nancy answered. “I’ll do everything I can for you and Lolita. But if my father disapproves of my living at the circus I’ll have to do my detective work on the outside.”

“I understand,” Pietro said.

Nancy asked him where there was a pay telephone and he led her to a booth. She called her home, but there was no answer. Next, she tried Bess Marvin’s, then George Fayne’s house. Both lines were busy.

“I guess my friends are still on the wire trying to locate my father,” Nancy told the clown. “As soon as I have a chance to talk to Dad, I’ll ask him to start the inquiries in England as I promised.”

The clown thanked her and then took Nancy to Mrs. Kelly, the wardrobe mistress. The girl was quickly outfitted in dark-blue jodhpurs and a white silk blouse. But instead of boots she was given soft heelless slippers. Never having used this kind of footwear in her stunt riding, Nancy wondered how she could manage in them and spoke to Mrs. Kelly about it.

“That’s what all our bareback riders use,” Mrs. Kelly replied. “You’ll probably find them easier than the stiff boots.”

Nancy nodded and put on the slippers. Ready to leave the trailer, she glanced at Mrs. Kelly’s wrist watch.

“The twenty minutes are almost up,” she thought. “I’ll have to hurry.”

Dan Webster was waiting for her inside the Big Top. He introduced the equestrian group and their leader, Rancoco.

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